Cleveland Recording Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music recording studio |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Founder | Frederick C. Wolf |
| Fate | Sold in 1977; relocated |
| Headquarters | Cleveland, Ohio , United States |
| Products | Audio recording and mastering services |
Cleveland Recording Company was a landmark recording studio situated in Cleveland, Ohio, originally housed within the Carnegie Hall building at 1220 Huron Road. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, it was responsible for producing numerous chart-topping records by artists such as James Gang and Grand Funk Railroad.
History
The establishment of the studio dates back to 1938 when Cleveland radio personality Frederick C. Wolf created it to capture performances by local Slovenian musicians featured on his WGAR broadcasts. This made it Cleveland’s inaugural professional recording venue. Among its early projects were recordings of notable Slovenian polka performers, including the future "Polka King," Frankie Yankovic.
In 1946, Wolf formally incorporated the enterprise as Cleveland Recording Company and shifted operations to the Loew's State Theater building located at 1515 Euclid Avenue. By the mid-20th century, Wolf diversified into radio broadcasting with the launch of WCCR (AM), followed by WDOK-FM and WDOK-AM. The arrival of engineer Ken Hamann marked a turning point, as he transformed the studio into a premier destination for recording and mastering services.
Hamann was behind engineering several major hits such as "Time Won't Let Me" (1966) by The Outsiders, "Green Tambourine" (1967) from The Lemon Pipers, "Nobody But Me" (1968) by The Human Beinz, Velvet Crest’s "Look Homeward Angel" (1969), and the James Gang album Thirds (1970). Grand Funk Railroad recorded their initial five albums at this location, beginning with their 1969 debut release. Additionally, in 1975, Wild Cherry produced their first album here, which included the hit "Play That Funky Music."
Ownership changed hands in 1970 when Hamann and production engineer John Hansen acquired the company from Wolf and relocated it to 1935 Euclid Avenue. Michael Bishop joined as an engineer two years later in 1972. The partnership dissolved in 1977 after Cleveland State University purchased the premises, leading Hansen to move the studio elsewhere and concentrate on commercial recordings until his passing in 1990.
Legacy
Following his tenure at Cleveland Recording Company, Ken Hamann established Suma Recording Studio in Painesville, Ohio, collaborating with his son Paul and engineer Michael Bishop. By 1988, Bishop was engineering projects for Telarc Records. After Ken Hamann’s death in 2003, Paul Hamann assumed control of Suma Recording and worked with a range of prominent musicians including David Thomas, Pere Ubu, The Black Keys, Alex Bevan, Rachel Brown, and Chardon Polka Band. Paul Hamann managed the studio until his death in 2017. In 2018, Michael Seifert, a producer and audio engineer based in Cleveland, acquired Suma Recording. Following significant renovations, the facility reopened its doors to clients in early 2022.